Our view: Home Again St. Johns needs private sector help

Posted: May 29, 2011 - 12:08am

A huge gap has opened in the community's coordinated efforts to stem homelessness with the loss of a paid, part-time homeless services coordinator.

Home Again St. Johns is the community's response to helping the homeless return to being productive members of society. David Hoak, a part-time employee of the United Way of St. Johns County, was Home Again's part-time coordinator. Recently the estimated $20,000-a-year position had been funded by the United Way and Home Again's several community partners. Those resources have dried up, according to Mike Davis, Home Again's chairman.

Although Davis has been seeking financial assistance for Home Again from civic clubs, only The Rotary Club of St. Augustine has contributed.

Where is the support from the rest of the private sector, especially those businesses that have complained the loudest about the homeless blocking customer traffic?

Davis was asked that question by City and County Commissioners at their joint workshop on Tuesday. He said he is continuing to work on that effort.

Davis came to ask each commission to split the $20,000 needed to continue Hoak's job. Instead, commissioners said they would personally donate $100 or more but that public funds were maxed out. Commissioners reminded Davis that they provide in-kind services already. The county also has contracts for services with the independent social service agencies. The city coordinates and supports the Mayors' Holiday Lighting Gala to raise funds for a new St. Francis House and provides other assistance overall.

Although County Administrator Michael Wanchick recommended $5,000 from remaining funds in the independent agencies' budget line, County Commissioners disagreed.

We can talk about whether people are really homeless and out of work or just milking the system. That debate will never end. Home Again is doing something about the problem, even with limited resources.

It responded to the complaints about the homeless feedings in the city's Plaza de la Constitucion, and got permission to set up the coordinated nightly food sharing on public property at Cordova and Bridge streets. Local restaurants and stores provide the food. St. Francis House and Second Harvest Food Bank continue to provide food regularly as well.

Community volunteers serve at the nightly feedings.

All those efforts are commendable.

Even the people who get the meals help set up and clean up. Sometimes about 40 people show up for a meal; other times, 100. The higher numbers are seen on the weekends, organizers say.

The need is not going away, but the new feeding site shows that people will go where the food is.

To ensure the feedings stay on schedule, United Way is paying Hoak $150 a month to continue to do the scheduling.

A site selection committee, headed by City Commissioner Leanna Freeman, is looking for a new location for a proposed one-stop center, the longtime goal of St. Francis House to move out of downtown. This center would have referral areas for social services, meals and temporary housing. The county has a list of surplus properties under review for a possible site. Wanchick said the county is open to a land swap to help secure the right location.

Soon, Home Again will have refurbished city parking meters inside businesses to support its efforts. Customers can put their spare change and money they might give to panhandlers into those meters. But they have to be able to say "no" to panhandlers on the streets, too.

Home Again needs private financial support. Without the private sector, there is no community incentive to remedy the problem. A paid coordinator is vital. There's too much work behind the scenes for volunteers alone. It's time for the rest of the private sector to become part of the solution.

How to help

Send contributions to Home Again St. Johns, in care of United Way, 117 Bridge St., St. Augustine, FL 32084.